Linked Assets in Creative Cloud Libraries

Edit once, update everywhere.

Graphics in Creative Cloud Libraries are now linked, so that when they’re changed, you and your team members have the option of updating them across any Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC, or InDesign CC projects where they’re used. Adobe CreativeSync powers your libraries and keeps everything up to date and right at your fingertips for a seamless workflow. All your projects are always up-to-date with your latest edits!

For more information on this enhanced feature, see the section on Collaboration in the article Creative Cloud Libraries.

Adobe Stock

Millions of high-quality images. Right inside Illustrator.

Search 40 million photos, illustrations, and vectors.

With Adobe Stock, you can purchase, access, and manage high-quality, high-resolution, royalty-free images directly from Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC, InDesign CC, and other Adobe desktop apps.
You can save images directly to Creative Cloud Libraries. You can license an image immediately, or save a watermarked preview to use in a comp. Thanks to Adobe CreativeSync, you can immediately access your images across your desktop and mobile devices, and even share them with your team. When you're ready to use the non-watermarked version, you can license the image for use directly in Illustrator.

10x greater zoom magnification

64,000%, up from 6,400%

Safe Mode

Diagnose and fix startup problems.

Safe Mode is a new feature that enables Illustrator to launch even if there are fatal, crash-inducing files (for example, corrupt fonts, out-of-date plug-ins, or incorrect drivers) in the system. You can choose to diagnose the cause of the error. When the application starts after isolating and disabling crash-causing files, Illustrator is in Safe Mode.

The Safe Mode dialog lists crash-causing issues.

The Safe Mode dialog provides you with information to diagnose and troubleshoot the problem area, thus providing you with a way to fix any issues. When done, mark all issues resolved and enable Illustrator to relaunch in normal mode at the next restart.

Recover data in your files

Never lose your work again.

Forgetting to periodically save your open projects can cause you to lose time and work if an improper shutdown happens before you could save your files. An improper shutdown could be Illustrator crashing, an operating system error, or a power outage.

When such an error occurs, simply relaunch Illustrator and your work can be restored. If the cause of error is a damaged font or incompatible driver or plug-in, Illustrator provides you with options to diagnose the issue and fix any errors.

Integration with Creative Cloud mobile apps

Adobe Comp CC, Illustrator Draw, Photoshop Sketch, and more!

Illustrator no longer requires you to be at your studio or office to be creative and productive. Keep your ideas, discoveries, and thoughts constantly evolving and rapidly developing into awesome artwork and projects – all while on-the-go – using Adobe’s mobile apps. A few examples:

Illustrator Draw. Create with your favorite vector drawing tools and features in a streamlined, modern interface. You can draw lines, shapes, and free-form illustrations and with ten drawing layers and a photo layer. Creative Cloud connectivity makes it easy to apply finishing touches in Illustrator CC or Photoshop CC.

Draw for iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPad Mini) is available as a free download through the iTunes App Store

Adobe Shape CC. Photograph any object, design, or shape - and convert them into vector shapes in a few simple steps. Store the resulting vectors in your Creative Cloud Libraries, and access them or refine them in Illustrator or Photoshop.

Adobe Brush CC. Use your iPad or iPhone to design beautiful, high-quality brushes from photos of anything that inspires you. Save the brushes to your Creative Cloud Library and access them anywhere across Photoshop and Illustrator!

Adobe Color. Capture inspiring color combinations wherever you see them, in a fun and intuitive way. Simply point the camera at something colorful and Adobe Color CC will instantly extract a series of colors.

Color for iOS (iPad, iPad Mini, iPhone, and iPod Touch) and Android is available as a free download through the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

Creative Cloud Charts (Preview)

Turn data into amazing infographics and more.

Create, edit, color, and generate amazing infographics!

Create graphs and charts from your data, using a simple, intuitive interface. Replace the default chart elements with Illustrator vector graphics, and generate custom infographics, charts, and graphs. Use the browser-based interface to quickly import data from your data files (.csv, .xls, .xlsx type files) and transform it into graphical representations. Use Creative Cloud Libraries to share and use charts across projects and teams.

GPU Performance

Leverage the power of your GPU! Now for Macs, too!

The 2015 release of Illustrator CC now better leverages the power of GPU to render content — which means faster artwork rendering during zooming, panning, and scrolling. Each art type has been rewritten, so that it is computed and rendered on the graphic processor. GPU enhancements are now available for Macs as well.

Touch workspace enhancements

Image Place
You can now place an image (raster format) in the Touch workspace.

Distribute Options in Align Panel
Previously, the Align panel did not have distribute options. Now, users can use the two most popular align options from the align panel in the Touch workspace.

Tools reset
Some tools in the Touch workspace have options like Draw from Center in Shape Tools, Merge and Subtract Mode in Shape Builder. When switching between tools, one often forgot that an option was enabled when the same tool was used previously. This affected productivity. Now, whenever there is a change of tools in the Touch workspace, the active tool becomes available with the default settings.

Flip buttons for Variable Width
Stroke options in the Touch workspace have a way to apply variable-width profiles to paths, to make them look organic. Variable-width profiles are based on an arbitrary direction (one end - thin, the other - thick). With the introduction of Flip buttons for these profiles, you now have better control on variable-width profiles they use on paths in the Touch workspace

Tool enhancements

Curvature tool

Separate Rubber-banding Preference
Rubber-banding preferences for the Pen and Curvature tools were tied to one single value. The Illustrator team found that users preferred this value for the Curvature tool than for the Pen tool. Now, both tools have separate values so that users have independent control over both tools.

Joining two paths
The Curvature tool only worked with one path at a time - the active path. Now it is possible to join a non-active path and continue working with it.

Start from either ends
The Curvature tool had a fixed direction of working - even when a path was deselected and reselected. Now for any open path, users can pick which end of the path to start working with. To be able to draw from the other end-point, press Esc to deselect the active curvature point, click and move the end-point slightly, and then continue drawing with the Curvature tool.

Shape Builder Tool: free-form Mode

The Shape Builder tool previously had linear feedback for Merge and Subtract options. Now, this tool can be used in free-form mode. This mode is on by default. To get back to older, straight-line feedback, change the option in the tool's options dialog. This is available in the Touch workspace as well.

Pencil Tool: Turn off auto-close

Although most users loved auto-close in Pencil Tool, there were some users who required path closure to occur at their own discretion. The Pencil tool options dialog now has an option to control auto-closing.

Other important enhancements

Copy-paste hexadecimal values

When copying a hexadecimal value from other applications, users most likely pick the '#' symbol with the actual hexadecimal value. The Hex field in Color panel only accepts pure hexadecimal values, and repeated, precise copy-paste actions are required until only the right value is pasted. Now, this field automatically removes pasted characters that are not part of the hexadecimal value. This makes it much easier to bring in hexadecimal values using a copy-paste workflow.

Used Swatches on gradient stops

There are times when gradient stops are defined by a swatch color. Previously, it was not possible to identify this swatch when the Color Stop was double-clicked. Now, if a color swatch is used on the Color Stop, it retains the information and highlights the swatch used when the Color Stop is accessed.

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